“The sculpture fits into the story that we are trying tell along the river,” said Randy Maiers, community foundation president. “We are trying to tell the story of the rebirth of a shoreline and the restoration of a habitat.”

(Photo: Community Foundation of St. Clair County/Facebook)

Lou Rodriquez, of South Haven, says it took him three months to complete the sturgeon sculpture.

“I wanted to give the sculpture movement in order for it to look natural, so I curved the steel,” Rodriquez said. “I wanted it to have a life-like appeal.”

The $10,000 sculpture was funded by private donations and commissioned specifically for the river walk, which officially opens Saturday. “Sugar, the Iron Horse,” a sculpture to the south of the sturgeon, cost $15,000 and also was paid for through private donations.

“The sturgeon is one of the most famous Great Lakes fish and the steel it’s made out of fits with our industrial heritage,” Maiers said. “The iron horse fits into the story because is it made of industrial debris. That is the history of the site of the river walk.”

Names for the sturgeon sculpture are being solicited on the Community Foundation’s Facebook page. More sculptures could be added in 2015, along with a fishing pier. Events on Saturday include kite flying and a kayak demonstration, as well as guided tours.

“We still have a lot we want to do to the river walk,” Maiers said. “But we want to celebrate what we have done.”